Nate VerHague is the Marketing Coordinator at Solar Liberty. A passion for environmental action led him to the solar industry and a passion for craft beer led him to the NYSBA.
In his role at Solar Liberty, a New York based solar developer and NYSBA Allied Member, Nate promotes the incorporation of clean, renewable energy to home and business owners every day.
Electric costs for your brewery are part of the process. It’s one of those expenses that just comes with the territory of running a successful business and needs to be factored into overhead costs. Right?
Not if you go solar!
A solar panel installation for your brewery presents a host of opportunities to save money, promote your business and be more independent.
Saving Money
Solar panels produce electricity on site to reduce, or even eliminate, your monthly electric costs. It is the only investment a business can make that turns unavoidable monthly expenses into an asset that has a typical ROI of 4-5 years, is warrantied for 25 years, and lasts 35+ years! Solar provides savings and stability so you can focus on brewing great beer.
Promoting Your Brewery
Clean, renewable, solar energy is an excellent way to promote your brewery while doing right by the environment. The green movement is being pioneered by businesses large and small.
Over 7,000 businesses have gone solar in NYS! Brews from the Sun is a community dedicated towards promoting solar powered breweries that would prove to be a marketing asset.
System monitoring provides real-time updates on the production of your solar array to not only protect your investment, but to show off how much you’ve reduced your carbon footprint.
Statistics from this monitoring can be posted to websites, social media, and tap rooms to show off your sustainability efforts.
Independence
Turning the roof of your brewery, or open space on the grounds, into a power plant makes you the source for your own clean, renewable electricity. You’re no longer subject to utility rate increases as you have the stability of producing your own power.
Benefits of Going Solar in New York
New York State is one of the best states to go solar in, thanks to the incentives. There is an incentive from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) that is available to all solar installations in the state. Incorporating that incentive with the 26%
Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) and accelerated depreciation, businesses are seeing a typical ROI of 4-5 years on an asset that is warrantied for 25 years and produces power well beyond that!
